Month: November 2016

I could not be happier with how my little dining area turned out and I’m so excited to share it with you! Check out this before picture… we have been using this little table that was made by my husband’s great grandpa since we got married. It’s a cute and tiny folk piece but I was ready for an upgrade. And don’t worry the table was retired to my “storage unit” room in the basement where I keep way too many treasures to save for later haha.

So remember my post about the dining area design plan? Check it out here. I was trying to decide what style of chairs to put with my mid century modern dining room table. Well, I decided to keep it simple and go with the classic white Eames-style chairs. I LOVE the contrast of the walnut table with the white chairs and the price couldn’t be beat. Most of the other options were either unattainable or expensive… like really expensive. But I seriously love this look! I am so glad I went with these chairs. They are also really comfortable. I actually bought them from Amazon of all places, you can find them here.

Ok, so a little back story on the table…. I purchased it quite a while ago from a guy selling it on Vintage Yardsale Utah (FB group). I have since purchased a few other items from the same seller (who is also a lover of MCM)… he never disappoints. And I’m so happy I found him haha. He advised me on how to best refinish or improve the tabletop–which had some water and heat damage and the usual wear and tear of an old piece of furniture. I opted for the faster, easier option and used Restore-A-Finish rather than completely refinishing it. As you can see from the before picture of the table, there was a dark spot in the middle.

The dark spot is still there but much less noticeable. I keep a table runner on there all the time anyways unless we’re eating so it doesn’t bother me. We lightly sanded the top down and then applied the Restore-A-Finish according to the directions. It was seriously SO easy and immediately made a huge difference! Compare the two pictures… it looks awesome, am I right?? Here’s what we used:

The legs had some scratches, and for some reason the Restore-A-Finish wouldn’t take to the legs as well as the top. So we ended up buying a stain marker, like this one, and touched up the little scratch marks with that, and it worked pretty well. Both of these can be found at Home Depot or Lowes. Annnnd about those legs…. if you love mid century modern then can appreciate those gorgeous tapered legs. The legs SOLD me on this table.

In the design plan post, I mentioned that I was considering a rug. I was unsure because of how small the space was and the table is close to two walls; I didn’t want it to look crowded. But wow am I glad I decided a rug was necessary! In my opinion it makes the space. The combination of the dark wood, white chairs, and rich blue make my heart happy. And the rug looks so natural there; it was meant to be! I found this beautiful rug at Rugs USA for an awesome price! And it’s on sale right now for cyber Monday for even cheaper than I bought it for! Find it here. It always makes me nervous ordering something so important without seeing it in person, but I was very pleased. It looks just like the picture and the colors are beautiful. It can be so hard to find a rug this big for such a great price point.

The shelves are from Ikea. I love that they are simple and clean and bring more white into the space–which is always a good thing. And of course I had to put up pictures of my little Nash!

Overall, I’m very happy with the space. I’m hoping to do a budget makeover of sorts on the rest of the kitchen soon. It will be nice to get the entire room looking rad! I hope this inspires some of you to update your dining spaces. I mean, we spend a lot of time there right? Why not have a beautiful space that you can enjoy? I also want to emphasize that you don’t have to break the bank to have a beautiful dining area. With a little Restore-A-Finish, paint, sandpaper, or stain you can bring back the beauty of something old. Try it!

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Hi I’m Kemley!

Hi everyone! My name is Kemley and I LOVE interior design! My style is a mix of vintage, rustic, and modern with midcentury vibes. I love to create beautiful spaces on a budget! This blog is all about DIY and renovating without breaking the bank. I have been married to Dax, the most amazing husband ever, for about 4 years! I am a mamma to the sweetest little boy ever! His name is Nash, and he is beautiful. We own a 70's fixer upper house, which we are currently making our own! Follow my journey for DIY projects and room reveals- both in my home and the homes of others! XO